Racist Plantation Texts Sent After Election Day Ignite Outrage Across Social Media
Black people are receiving texts telling them to report to a plantation to pick cotton.
Published Nov. 7 2024, 10:58 a.m. ET
As the results from Election Day 2024 continue to unfold, many people are still processing the chaos and uncertainty. Unfortunately, some are also encountering racism, a reality that is never acceptable in any form.
On Nov. 6, 2024, several Black college students in the southern U.S. received unsettling texts informing them they had been "selected to pick cotton" on plantations.
Here's what you need to know.
The day after Election Day 2024, many Black people got texts to report to a plantation.
In a disgusting and vile act, many Black people across the country received horrific, racist text messages the day after Election Day 2024. The messages — some even using their first names — outrageously demanded that they report to a plantation to pick cotton. This sickening act of hate has rightfully sparked outrage and widespread condemnation.
On November 6, X (formerly Twitter) user @AriTheDon shared a chilling screenshot of a text their niece received. It read, "Greetings, you have been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation. Be ready at 12 a.m. NOVEMBER 13 SHARP with your belongings. Our executive slaves will come get you on a bus. Be prepared to be searched down once you've entered the plantation. You are in Plantation Group B."
On Instagram, Rachel Elizabeth Cargle (@rachel.cargle) and The Loveland Foundation — a group dedicated to helping people of color, particularly Black women and girls — shared a disturbing joint post exposing the racist text messages sent to Black women.
"These text messages were received by Black women today. Sent by anonymous numbers. Suggesting they must be ready to be enslaved," Rachel wrote. "The consequences of this election will be rubble. I will not allow Black women to ever again be beneath it."
Rachel continued with a call to action: "Right now, I'm asking anyone who sees this message and has the resources to give, please text 3+ friends and commit [to] show up together to do EVERYTHING we can to protect Black women."
She also called for a $5 recurring donation to The Loveland Foundation, urging everyone to take an "intentional step of action to ensure our women, which is to say our families, which is to say our communities, keep their wellbeing."
As if it couldn’t get any worse, some of these despicable texts claimed to be from the "Trump Administration" or even included the phrase, "After President Trump takes office."
Naturally, the internet has erupted with outrage, making it crystal clear just how repulsive this racist garbage is.
"It's been one day and people are already this emboldened. That's the frightening part here," one person commented under Rachel's Instagram post.
A second Instagram user wrote, "This made me literally sick and nauseated right now, my head is spinning."
"What the actual eff!" a third user added. "Just one day later, how am I not surprised. I'm so sorry for any person who received these awful texts."
Someone on X blasted, "This s--t is disgusting and should not be taken lightly. I'm truly disappointed."
If you are looking for ways to donate your time or money to Black Lives Matter and other antiracist organizations, we have created a list of resources to get you started.
